herrick



No. 622,005. Patented Mar. 28, I899.

W HERRICK NIPPLE ,GRIP FOR BICYCLE WRENGHES.

(No Model.)

bodying my invention.

Nrrn STATES Fries.

PATENT XVILLIAM HERRIOK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MORGAN dz WRIGHT, OF SAME PLACE.

NIPPLE-GRIP F'OR BlCYCLE-WRENCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,005, dated March 28, 1899. Application filed D'eeember 28,1897. serial No. 663,836. (No model.)

such purpose; but so far as I am aware the forms or constructions which have been put on the market involve various defects, the same being provided with various adjuncts or attachments, rendering them undesirably complicated and expensive, or being unhandy, difficult to manipulate, and either presenting insufficient surface for permitting the operator to readily and firmly grasp and rotate the tool or a more or less desirably limited surface in a way which entails awkward and inconvenient handling, it being observed that the use of such articles is rendered the more difficult from the fact that the tool must grip the nipple while the latter is extended inwardly through the wheel-rim and in engagement with a spoke and from the further fact that the spaces between the spokes are limited.

The objects of my invention are to 'overcome all of the foregoing-mentioned defects and to provide a light, simple, economical, and extremely-desirable and highly-efficient construction of nipple-grip which can be conveniently operated.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other useful ends my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in perspective a nipple grip cm- Fig. 2 shows the same in elevation, the unslotted side of the device being represented. Fig. 3 is a section on line to a; in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows a portion of a velocipede-wheel and illustrates the application of my improved nipple-grip. Fig. 5 illustrates a full-sized nipple.

The nipple-grip A comprises a substantially cylindric body a, having a longitudinally-arranged slot or channel which extends from end to end thereof and which is of sufficient width and depth to receive and center in such body both a spoke-nipple and a spoke with which the nipple is in engagement and to permit the nipple-grip when turned for the purpose of adjusting the nipple to rotate about an axis extending centrally or substantially centrally and longitudinally through the nipple and the spoke. This is illustrated in Fig. t, in which a spoke B extends axially through the nipple-grip and engages a nipple O, which latter is received in the slot or channel at one end of the nipple-grip, and thereby engaged by the latter. v

The ends a of the nipple-grip are preferably convexed or rounded, so that when either end is caused to bear against the under side of the wheel-rim I), as will usually be the case, the rotation of the nipple-grip will not injure the wheel-rim.

The body at may have a plain cylindric surface from end to end or it can be milled adjacent to its ends, as at a The body ct could be made solid and pro vided with a slot or channel of suitable depth, preferably a little more than one-half the diameter of such body, so as to permit the nipple and spoke to be centered in alinement with the axis of the body when the nipplegrip isapplied for the purpose of adjusting the spoke. I prefer, however, as a matter of further improvement to make such body tubular or hollow and with closed ends, whereend of the nipple-grip can be used and the employment of a separatelymade nipplegripping claw attached to the body of the tool, as heretofore proposed, is avoided. My construction also provides acompact and etficient tool without objectionable projecting claws or the like, since it comprises an oblong body of a size and diameter to permit it to be firmly and conveniently grasped by the hand of the user and longitudinally slotted or channeled from end to end in a way to cause each end of the slot or channel to provide a pair of jaws for engaging aspoke-nipple. It will also be seen that the body A of the nipple-grip is provided with closed ends, which by reason of the slot or channel are suit-ably recessed to form said jaws, and that whether such body is solid or hollow it may be said to have closed ends, through which the slot or channel extends.

\Vhen the nipple-grip is applied as in Fig. 4, the operator can readily and naturally grasp the body a with one hand and obtain a firm hold thereon, since it will present a length substantially equal to the width of the hand anda diameter sufiicieut to enable the hand to firmly grasp and hold it. The spaces between the spokes afford ample room for the operator to thus grasp the nipple-grip, and while such spaces are somewhat limited the spokes at opposite sides of the nipple-grip cannot interfere with the operation of man'ually turningthe nipple-grip, itbeing seen that the arm of the operator will extend laterally to the plane of the wheel and that the nipple-grip can be readily operated by a series of comparatively limited deflections of the operators wrist and consequent partial turns of his hand.

The slot or channel in the nipple-grip is desirably formed with slightly outwardly-diverging walls, so as to permit it to readily secure the nipple and also accommodate different sizes of the same.

Either end of the nipple-grip can be used for engaging a nipple, thereby rendering it more convenient and desirable. No screw adjustments are required, and obviously the device can be readily and quickly applied and used.

The body a is desirably cylindric and preferably tubular. The eylindric form could of course be slightly modified or departed from without departing from the spirit of my invention, andhenee I characterize the same as substantially cylindric.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. A nipple-grip comprising a cylindric or proximately cylindric body having a longitudinal slot or channel extending from end to end thereof, the terminal portions of the slot or channel being extended through closed or solid ends of said body with their side walls arranged to form a pair of jaws at each end of the body, substantially as described.

2. A nipple-grip comprising an oblong hollow body having closed or solid ends and provided with a longitudinal slot whereof the terminal portions extend through and partially across the closed or solid ends of the hollow body to form jaws, substantially as described.

3. A nipple-grip comprising an oblonghollow or tubular body having rounded ends a, and provided with a longitudinal channel a having its terminal portions a extending through and partially across the rounded ends of the hollow body and made with sides which converge toward the ends of the slot, substantially as described.

lVILLlAM HERRlOK.

\Vitnesses:

A. F. DURAND, MARGARET M. WAGNER. 

